Karachi: Eight militants, including the chief of a terror outfit, have been killed in a gun battle with the security forces in Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

Representational image. WP

The militants belonging to the Ansarul Sharia Pakistan (ASP) terror outfit were killed in a joint operation by the Rangers and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Karachi's Raees Goth area on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.

"The operation was carried out based on an intelligence tip off and evidence about the presence of ASP terrorists in the area," the rangers said.

Those killed in the gunfight include ASP chief Abdullah Hashmi who is suspected to be the mastermind of all the terror attacks carried out by the ASP, they said in a statement.

It said another slain terrorist has been identified as Arsalan who headed the ASP's target killing squad.

Two Rangers and an official of the CTD were injured during the exchange of heavy gunfire.

Five terrorists were killed on the spot while three others succumbed to their injuries in a hospital, it said.

Interestingly some weeks back, media reports said that Hashmi who headed the Al-Qaeda inspired terrorist group, had been arrested during a raid on a house in Kaneez Fatima society in Karachi but the law enforcement agencies neither confirmed nor denied these reports.